Staff PCB Design Engineer

About the role

Trystar is seeking a Staff PCB Design Engineer – Power Electronics to join its innovative engineering team at one of several on‑site locations (Houston, TX; Merrimack, NH; Waukesha, WI; Charlotte, NC; Loveland, CO; Mayfield, KY; Seattle, WA). The engineer will lead PCB design and layout for complex power conversion and control electronics used in high‑power, high‑voltage systems, collaborating with electrical, mechanical, firmware, manufacturing, and compliance engineers from concept through production release.

Responsibilities

• Lead PCB placement and routing for complex power electronics including gate‑driver, control, sensing, communications, customer I/O, power‑interface, and test assemblies.
• Own PCB designs from floorplanning and stack‑up definition through layout, design review, fabrication documentation, and production release.
• Develop PCB layouts for high‑voltage and high‑current power conversion systems up to approximately 2000 VDC / 600 VAC, with current paths exceeding 100 A and PCB‑to‑busbar interfaces.
• Apply appropriate creepage, clearance, insulation coordination, grounding, isolation, thermal, EMI/EMC, signal‑integrity, and power‑integrity design practices.
• Define stack‑ups, controlled impedance, routing constraints, copper requirements, via structures, and other PCB fabrication requirements.
• Collaborate with electrical and mechanical engineers on schematic implementation, PCB floorplanning, packaging, thermal interfaces, connector placement, and ECAD/MCAD integration.
• Work with PCB fabricators and contract manufacturers to resolve DFM/DFA, testability, serviceability, fabrication, assembly, prototype, and production issues.
• Create and maintain footprints, padstacks, mechanical symbols, constraints, PCB standards, and library content; lead PCB design reviews and mentor other designers and engineers.
• Support environmental and regulatory requirements including conformal coating, pollution degree, temperature/humidity considerations, and applicable UL, IEC, IEEE, and IPC requirements.
• Design PCB‑based engineering and manufacturing test hardware such as interface boards, automated test boards, programming fixtures, and functional test fixtures.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Engineering Technology, or related field with 7+ years of relevant PCB design experience, or equivalent education and directly applicable experience.
• Extensive experience with complex PCB layout using Cadence Allegro PCB Editor / OrCAD or comparable professional ECAD tools.
• Demonstrated ability to take complex PCB designs from schematic and mechanical requirements through production‑ready fabrication and assembly documentation.
• Experience designing mixed high‑voltage, high‑current, analog, digital, and high‑speed PCB assemblies, including switching power electronics and 100 + A PCB current paths.
• Strong understanding of PCB fabrication and assembly including stack‑ups, copper weights, controlled impedance, vias, materials, surface finishes, tolerances, and manufacturing capabilities.
• Strong knowledge of creepage, clearance, isolation, grounding, EMI/EMC, thermal management, return paths, differential routing, and other signal/power‑integrity fundamentals.
• Experience developing PCB libraries and working with electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, PCB fabricators, and contract manufacturers throughout the product lifecycle.
• Working knowledge of applicable IPC standards and PCB requirements supporting product safety and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to lead PCB design reviews, identify implementation risks, communicate technical concerns clearly, and mentor less‑experienced designers and engineers.

Additional Qualifications

• Experience with OrCAD Capture or similar schematic tools, including schematic review, modification, and implementation of minor circuit changes.
• Experience with SolidWorks or comparable MCAD tools, including ECAD/MCAD collaboration and basic modification of PCB models, board outlines, brackets, enclosures, or fixtures.
• Experience designing PCBs for inverters, motor drives, energy storage systems, UPS systems, or similar high‑power equipment, including SiC MOSFET and/or IGBT gate‑drive layouts.
• Experience designing manufacturing and automated test hardware, including test PCBs, interface boards, programming fixtures, bed‑of‑nails fixtures, or functional test systems.
• Experience specifying PCB requirements for conformal coating and harsh environments, including coating keepouts, masking, material compatibility, inspection, temperature, humidity, contamination, and vibration.
• Familiarity with specialized PCB technologies, including thick‑copper, high‑layer‑count, and immersion‑cooled PCB assemblies.
• Familiarity with applicable standards such as UL 1741 / UL 1741 SB, IEEE 1547 / 1547.1, UL 840, IEC 60664‑1, and relevant IPC design, fabrication, assembly, and conformal‑coating standards.
• Experience with PLM, engineering change control, controlled product release, ECAD library administration, or PCB signal/power‑integrity analysis tools.
• IPC CID/CID+ certification and experience supporting UL, IEC, FCC, or EMC compliance testing are a plus.
• Position may require occasional travel within North America.